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Warisan president Shafie Apdal's brother remanded for 5 days Hamid Apdal, an Umno member, arrested last night at the MACC office in Kota...

Warisan president Shafie Apdal's brother remanded for 5 days

Hamid Apdal, an Umno member, arrested last night at the MACC office in Kota Kinabalu, while his house was also raided by officers from the agency.

Photo credit: Borneo Post

KOTA KINABALU: The brother of Parti Warisan Sabah president Shafie Apdal was today remanded for five days to assist in a probe into an alleged embezzlement of RM1.5 billion of federal funds.

Magistrate Stephanie Sherron Abbie awarded the remand after considering arguments from both the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Hamidâs lawyers.

Martin Tommy, Hamidâs lead counsel, said his client, said to be a member of Semporna Umno and a businessman, is being investigated under Section 17(A) of the MACC Act.

Mohd Faliq Basirudin appeared for the MACC.

Hamid, 52, was arrested at the MACC office here last night. The arrest came after an entire day of investigation by the anti-graft agency.

FMT had also reported that Hamidâs house in Taman Bersatu, Putatan, near here, had been searched by MACC officers yesterday evening, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

Hamid went to the MACC office yesterday morning after being called to give his statement. This followed a visit by investigators to his home while he was away the night before.

Hamidâs remand brings to seven the number of people remanded in connection with the case. Last week, MACC said it aimed to talk to 32 people in the course of its investigation.

The other six people are Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony, Warisan Youth chief Azis Jamman, Tenom Umno Youth head Jamawi Jaafar, Tawau Umno Youth leader Ariffin Kassim, a local businessman and a former deputy secretary of the rural and regional development ministry.

It was earlier r eported that 350 projects under the ministry are being scrutinised by the MACC over allegations of embezzlement involving RM1.5 billion funds allocated for various projects in the state.

These projects were planned to be carried out between 2009 and 2015 in Kota Kinabalu, Kudat, Kota Belud, Ranau, Beaufort, Keningau, Lahad Datu, Tawau and Sandakan.

The RM1.5 billion was said to be part of RM7.5 billion allocated for water, electricity and road infrastructure development projects.

Certain quarters reportedly labelled the investigation as politically motivated to mar the image of Warisan in light of the upcoming general elections but Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi denied this saying the MACC operates independently.